One More
by Miasen
Summary: The scoop isn't perfect, it never is. The orange-haired boy with the name tag that reads Hinata! in sloppy writing, has been working in the ice cream shop for at least three weeks—Kageyama should know, he comes here every other day, even though he doesn't even like ice cream that much—but Hinata still hasn't grasped the technique properly. Or, Kageyama pines after Hinata.


A/N: I saw that it was KageHina day, so I finished up this fic I started ages ago! I also forgot to post it here, so it's a little late, shh. It's mostly fluff feat. pining Kags.

* * *

Kageyama can't stop staring.

A small tongue pokes out the side of an equally small mouth in concentration as the boy on the other side of the counter carefully works on making the perfect scoop of ice cream. Orange tufts of hair curl around the edge of the hat he is wearing, and Kageyama has the overpowering need to lean over the counter and tug on one of those curls.

His fingers twitch and he curls them into a fist at his side, pressing it against his thigh.

The scoop isn't perfect, it never is. The orange-haired boy with the name tag that reads _Hinata!_ in sloppy writing, has been working in the ice cream shop for at least three weeks—Kageyama should know, he comes here every other day, even though he doesn't even like ice cream that much—but Hinata still hasn't grasped the technique properly.

The scoop comes out wonky, half-moon more than the perfect ball he's obviously aiming for, and Kageyama can see the disappointment flash across amber eyes for a second before he sets out to rescue the situation, pushing the ice cream into a cone (Kageyama had asked for a plain one, but he'll take the chocolate dipped one and not say a word) and packing on more until it's more of a lump of ice cream than a scoop.

Hinata leans over the counter afterwards, a big grin on his face as he presents the ice cream. Vanilla, because it's the plainest one, almost like frozen milk. Kageyama grabs the cone—for some reason Hinata never puts it in one of those racks on top of the glass that covers the ice cream—and it inevitably makes their fingers brush for a second. Hinata's fingers are cold is all he can notice before he's left with only the cone in his hands. Hinata is still leaning over the counter, a smile still on his face, showing off probably all his teeth it's so wide. This close Kageyama can see tiny freckles on his cheeks, probably only visible at all in summer, and it's perfect. Of course Hinata has freckles, why wouldn't he? Everything else about him is so cute it has heat crawl up Kageyama's neck, and probably his cheeks as well. He needs to get out before he does something stupid like yell out for Hinata to go out with him. He turns around stiffly.

When he leaves, forgetting to even say thank you, he hears Hinata behind him, as cheerful as ever, "See you soon, Kageyama!"

The call of his name has more heat flash over his skin, and it's so dumb because he knows that Hinata knows his name, he was the one that told him after all, when Hinata noted that he came in so often he should probably know what it was.

Kageyama had grunted it out, too embarrassed to offer anything else, and then, like now, he'd walked out with an ice cream he didn't even really want in his hands.

The ice cream shop was the most popular one near campus, so the few times he wanted ice cream he went there. The first time he saw Hinata there had been a heat wave going on, and Kageyama just needed something cold on his way to his class.

The next week he kept coming in for the same reason, and when the heat wave finally passed for liveable temperatures he still found himself drawn to the shop, only now it was less because of the ice cream and more for something else entirely.

Kageyama slumps down on a bench and drops his backpack to the ground at his feet. He doesn't have class for another hour, should probably use the opportunity to study some, but he is too unfocused, so instead he just stares blankly out at the campus, definitely not thinking about that trail of faint freckles from earlier.

He is drawn away from his musings by the feeling of melting ice cream running down his fingers, and only then remembers the cone in his hand. He gets up from the bench, hitches his backpack onto one shoulder and throws the melting ice cream into the nearest trash can, licking the sticky remains off of his fingers as he trudges along. He might as well go to class and wait outside the classroom. Maybe there is someone there that could distract him from wanting to go back for one more ice cream.

* * *

Class is dull, and he isn't sure he really understands everything the teacher is talking about, but he tries his best to keep his attention on the whiteboard, writing down what seems most important and marking it with a question mark if he doesn't understand completely. He says to himself that he is going to look it up later, but he probably won't.

He wishes he didn't have to take classes at all, he doesn't like just sitting here, listening to the teacher drone on and on, but he knows he has to if he wants to do something other than working in a shitty grocery store for the rest of his life.

His gaze flickers to the row of windows that makes up one wall, and with his chin propped on his hand it is easy to just let his mind drift off, the dull droning of his teacher background noise.

A flash of orange catches his attention. It is hard to mistake that bright mess of hair, and when the boy walking along the path outside the window turns Kageyama see that it is definitely Hinata. He has a backpack on his back, and it bounces along with him as he half-walks and half-jumps along. He seems to be laughing at something the guy walking next to him says. The other gives Hinata an exaggerated thumbs up, and then they walked off to where Kageyama can't see them any more.

Obviously, Hinata is done with his shift for the day, but did the fact that he wore a backpack like that mean he was a student here as well? It probably did, most people working around campus seemed to be, but Kageyama doesn't think he has ever seen Hinata anywhere else on campus.

Maybe he is a freshman? The term started only a month ago; if he'd just moved here that would make sense. Kageyama is a sophomore himself, and Hinata has probably just started working at the ice cream shop, considering his lacking ice cream scooping skills.

Kageyama wonders what classes he takes. Maybe they'd bump into each other sometime, and he could...

Well, he probably isn't going to do anything at all. He's never really grasped the concept of small talk and Hinata probably only saw him as that weird guy that ate a lot of ice cream anyway.

Kageyama looks back at the whiteboard, but his concentration is well and truly ruined. He sighs and spends the rest of the class doodling on the page.

One more class until he can go back to his dorm room.

* * *

Three days and two uneaten ice creams later and Kageyama finds himself dragged along to something he thought he had given up years ago. Somehow Tanaka, who is in one of his classes, had heard that Kageyama had played volleyball in middle school, so when his team was one short for the weekly game he apparently played in the park with some friends of his he has proceeded to drag Kageyama along after class, ignoring any protest Kageyama might have.

The net isn't looking too good, ratty from hanging outside all summer, and there are more holes than there should be in it, but the grass is soft under his feet when Kageyama kicks off his shoes and socks and digs his toes into it. Summer is still hanging on, although the weather isn't as hot as it was just a few weeks ago. Today there are fluffy clouds dotting the sky, the sun disappearing and reappearing as they drift by. The park is filled with college students, some lounging around with books spread around them, some playing an impromptu game of soccer, and some just laying there, talking or sleeping or reading. There's laughter and yelling and Kageyama isn't too comfortable with it, but Tanaka had insisted, and Kageyama is sure he's going to kick up of a fuss if Kageyama leaves, so he stays.

He hasn't been on a volleyball court in years, not since he dropped out of the team his first year of high school. He had thought it would be better than middle school, but it wasn't, so he just stopped going.

He doesn't know many of the people on the court. There's Tanaka, who is talking to a tall guy with long hair tied in the nape of his neck. There's Daichi that Tanaka introduced him to, and to his surprise, Sugawara is there as well. Kageyama didn't know Sugawara played volleyball, but then again, he hadn't really made an effort to get to know him since they moved into the same dorm room a month earlier. Kindaichi, his roommate freshman year, had made it clear that Kageyama was an awful roommate, so he had mostly stuck to himself, leaving Sugawara alone, answering in one-syllable words whenever he tried talking to Kageyama. Sugawara greeted him now as if it hadn't bothered him in the slightest, saying that he was happy Kageyama could join them.

Kageyama doesn't much like the tall blond one with the glasses that's standing on the other side of the net, talking to a shorter guy with brown hair and freckles on his face. Not the faint freckles he saw on Hinata, but darker ones that probably don't fade at all during the winter.

"NOYA!" Tanaka suddenly exclaims, and runs past Kageyama with an excited yell, bumping him with his shoulder but not even noticing.

"TANAKA!" Kageyama hears behind him, and turns around just in time to see Tanaka jump into the arms of a short guy, dark hair spiked up in a ridiculous do with a bleached stripe in front. Next to the short guy that is probably called Noya there's another person, and Kageyama freezes as he realises just who it is, and why he recognised Noya.

Noya is the guy he saw walking with Hinata the other day.

Hinata is here, grinning at Tanaka's antics. He's wearing cargo shorts and a t-shirt with a black bird on the front of it. His hair's a mess of orange curls, the sun seemingly glinting off it when it peeks from behind the clouds. Kageyama swallows in an attempt to dislodge the lump in his throat, and then Hinata is turning towards the net where Kageyama is staring, and then he frowns for a moment as he sees Kageyama. Probably trying to place him.

Recognition flitters over his face a moment later, and Kageyama promptly looks away, definitely in no way blushing. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Hinata elbowing Noya in the side, saying something to him. Probably telling Noya that it's that ice cream addict that keeps coming into the shop or something.

When Sugawara calls him over to introduce him to another person he quickly does so, trying not to imagine Hinata looking after him.

After a lot of negotiation they divide into two teams. Suga is standing right opposite Kageyama, because Suga prefers to set, just like him. Suga also has Daichi on his team, as well as the tall blond guy and his friend. Two more people Kageyama had been introduced to, but promptly forgotten the names of, joined them.

On Kageyama's side there's Tanaka and Noya along with the tall guy with the long hair, because Noya had insisted the three of them definitely needed to be on the same team. A fifth guy jogs over to them, calls Tanaka baldy and takes up his position, dodging the ball Tanaka throws at him.

Then there's their last team member. Bouncing around somewhere to Kageyama's right, making excited noises and promises Kageyama was sure he'd never be able to keep. (Surely someone that short would have a hard time just getting the ball over the net).

Hinata.

Hinata who he has been low-key stalking for the last weeks (if coming to the ice cream shop to buy ice cream he doesn't want can be considered stalking). Hinata who is cute and small and so filled with energy it made Kageyama's head spin.

"Hey, Kageyama, toss me the ball lots, okay?" Hinata says. On Kageyama's other side is Asahi, tall and broad-shouldered, looking about a million times more fit for volleyball than Hinata, but Kageyama still finds himself nodding with a jerk of his head.

It's oddly different to be playing volleyball again, but also not different at all. Out on the grass there's no sound of skidding shoes and the echo of palms slapping against volleyballs, and he's wearing jeans which makes playing more difficult than shorts would have, but he finds that the moment the ball touches his fingers he's right back there. On the court, his team surrounding him, depending on him to set the perfect balls.

Kageyama had always been good at volleyball, it was the only thing he was ever any good at, but apparently he was a bad team player, which was why things hadn't worked out, and he was left spending his days in his bedroom, his volleyball lying forgotten under his bed as he made more of an effort in school than he ever had in middle school.

It's really good to be back here. Following the ball with his eyes, anticipating where it is going to land and in which angle he should send it off. He gets caught up in it, the voices calling out nice receive or other encouragements. The others are taking it very seriously for a friendly match in the park, and when Kageyama sets the ball perfectly to Tanaka who spikes it right in the middle of the other side, Yamaguchi not able to receive it at all, he feels himself grow a little taller, confidence he had forgotten he once had filling him.

"Gwaaah! I want one too, Kageyama, toss me!" Hinata yells in excitement next to him, and Kageyama wants to give him a really good toss so bad, because Hinata hasn't gotten to try to spike yet at all, and he seems to be about to implode he's so ready to hit the ball.

They miss their serve, and soon it's Daichi's turn, and the ball flies past the net, right into Noya's hands. It's a hard serve, and although Noya is good at receiving it comes fast. Kageyama is thinking maybe he should set this one to Asahi, because it's not going to be a great one, but then his gaze meets Hinata's for a split second, and he doesn't think Hinata will ever forgive him if he doesn't toss one to him right this minute, so he does, but it comes a little too fast, and for a moment he had forgotten that Hinata was so short, and this is like middle school all over again, when the others kept missing the spikes because they weren't fast enough, and Kageyama knew his sets wasn't the problem, but they all decided it was him that was the problem.

He knows the ball will fly out of Hinata's reach, and he'll not only have lost their team a point, but Hinata will probably hate him for giving him such a terrible one, and Kageyama should have never come here at all, shouldn't have let Tanaka drag him along, because of course it was going to end up like this, of course it was—

The sound of a palm hitting the ball resounds through his panic, and he realises that Hinata might be small, but he can jump. The ball that was so high and fast most of them would have had a problem spiking is flying over the net, no block in place to stop it because no one would have thought Hinata would be able to get it over the net at all.

It goes well over the backline, and the point goes to the other team, but when Hinata lands he doesn't look disappointed at all. He's looking down at his hand, the palm probably still stinging from the hit, and then he slowly raises his eyes until he meets Kageyama's gaze. His face splits in a giant grin.

"One more, Kageyama!"

Any panic he had been feeling is washed away by that smile, and he finds himself nodding in agreement. One more.

* * *

An unexpected side effect of joining the volleyball match was that somehow the others now considered him one of them, and a week later he finds himself standing in front of a house, hearing the thumping of music and shrill laughter of a party.

Kageyama doesn't go to parties. Hadn't ever really, because no one invited him, and if they did he probably wouldn't have gone, but after the match Sugawara had started to talk to him more, and now Kageyama found himself answering, and before he knew it he was invited along to a party. Apparently, Tanaka and Noya shared a house with some other friends, and this Friday was party night.

Kageyama fidgets, wondering if he is overdressed or underdressed. He had put on one of his nicer pairs of dark jeans and a plain black sweater. Suga is wearing jeans as well, but he has a button-down shirt over it. Should Kageyama had put on a shirt as well? He doesn't even know if he owns a shirt, and it is too late now anyway, because Sugawara ("Just call me Suga") is nudging him forward, and there is really no turning back now is there.

It is loud inside. The music is trying to overpower the multitude of voices screaming to overpower the music to the point where it's all muddled together.

Kageyama doesn't really recognise anyone, but Sugawara stays at his side, pulling him along until they find Noya standing in the kitchen, mixing up drinks that will probably make everyone sick. He takes a little out of several different bottles that are probably alcohol until what's in the cups is a muddy colour that looks positively deadly.

"Kageyama! Have a drink!" Noya says and shoves one of the glasses in Kageyama's direction. He hesitates. It is probably rude not to accept, but he really doesn't want to drink whatever Noya has made either.

"I think maybe just beer?" Sugawara says, most likely saving Kageyama from puking his guts out later.

Noya pouts but does show them where they placed the keg before he leaves them to find someone else he can talk into drinking his drinks. Tanaka would probably do it, he seems like the type, Kageyama thinks to himself as he accepts the red plastic cup of beer from Suga.

At some point Suga vanishes to find Daichi, leaving Kageyama standing in the corner after Kageyama assures him that he will be fine on his own, really.

Kageyama learns several things at the party. People get too loud when they are drunk, and they lose all concept of personal boundaries (So far Kageyama has gotten three hugs from people he doesn't know), and beer tastes disgusting really.

He still finishes his glass, and then another when Tanaka brings it to him.

He's pretty sure going here was a really bad idea. He's not the party type. Doesn't like the music or the drinking or the people, and he just wants to go home. He has lost Sugawara though, and he doesn't think he should leave before he tells him, maybe, so he stays. He finds that most people do stay away, apart from the few drunk enough not to, but they soon leave him alone as well when they realise he's no fun to talk to at all.

Kageyama didn't even realise that Sugawara wasn't the only reason he doesn't just leave until he sees Hinata standing across the room. Maybe there was a part of him that had hoped he would come.

Hinata doesn't see him. He's talking to Noya, and Kageyama sees him take the cup Noya offers him, drinking from it as if it wasn't toxic waste. Kageyama's hand clench around his empty plastic cup hard enough that it crumbles, and annoyed he drops it on the floor where it joins a multitude of other cups left by other people. He doesn't know why he would be waiting for Hinata, because it isn't as if he's going to go up to him and talk. Hinata has friends here, why would he ever want to talk to Kageyama.

He really should leave. He is planning to leave, is going through the process in his mind. Find Noya or Tanaka and say goodbye before walking back to the dorm room, curling up on his bed and staring at the wall until he fell asleep.

Instead, he finds himself standing in his corner, his back against the wall, hands empty, as he watches the room (Hinata—he watches Hinata). He's still not sure what it is about Hinata that has captured his attention like this. His hair is ridiculous, and he's so short, and he has too much energy and is too happy, and they are nothing alike really, but maybe that's exactly why he can't stop thinking about him. Maybe if he was around Hinata some of that happiness would leak over, and Kageyama wouldn't be so miserable all the time.

Where Kageyama spends his night trying to make sure people don't approach him, Hinata does the opposite. He's always talking to someone, laughing and smiling and chattering away. Kageyama is pretty sure Hinata doesn't even know all these people, but it doesn't seem to matter.

Kageyama gets distracted by Noya who is yet again trying to force a drink on him, claiming it's a Noya Special, and everyone like them, really, they do. Kageyama takes the cup, if only to make Noya stop talking about it, and Noya stares at him expectantly until Kageyama lifts the cup to his lips and takes a sip.

It burns down his throat and leaves a sickly sweet coating on his tongue all at once. Kageyama can't even pretend to be polite as his face screws up in disgust.

Noya doesn't seem too put out by his reaction as he's guffawing, doubling over as laughter shakes his body. Kageyama is probably not the first to have this reaction tonight.

Noya makes sure to stand there until Kageyama has had at least three more sips before he leaves to find his next target. Kageyama looks around for somewhere to get rid of the drink, and in the end he places it on a bookshelf that doesn't have more than five books in it anyway. He looks around the room, realising that he can't see Hinata any more and that people are getting drunker by the minute. There's dancing that looks more like someone having a fit of sorts, and there are couples going at it, seemingly forgetting that there are other people around. There are tongues down throats and hands where hands shouldn't be with other people present.

Kageyama can't take it any more. It's too crowded, too warm, and he's so uncomfortable. He wants to get away, but he's ended up on the other side of the living room, and he doesn't want to elbow his way through the crowd to leave, so he makes his way to the patio door instead, hoping he can get out that way. If the fence around the backyard is low enough he'll just jump it. It might be rude to leave without saying goodbye, but he doesn't even care any more.

He makes it outside without being accosted by any drunk people, and he deems it a victory. There are people in the backyard too, but not nearly as many as inside. Kageyama stalks across the neglected garden and is trying to find the place to jump the fence when he hears the sound of retching from the bushes. He means to ignore it, but the sound draws his gaze, and when he sees who is standing there he froze.

Even in the dark of the night Hinata's hair is bright. He seems less enthusiastic than usual, but that's maybe not so weird when he's throwing up all over a bush with small pink flowers. The flowers are looking a little sad now.

Kageyama hesitates, then walks over. He hovers next to Hinata, not sure if he should say or do something. His arms are stiff by his side, and he can't think of anything that doesn't sound stupid.

"Oi!" He ends up saying. The moment it passes his lips he realises how loud and abrasive it sounds, and he winces.

Hinata takes a break from barfing to look up at him, eyes narrowed. He looks absolutely miserable.

"You shouldn't have drunk the Noya Special," Kageyama says.

"I know that now, bastardyama," Hinata says, glaring at him. He's crouched over, arms around his stomach, and he doesn't look very intimidating.

"Don't' call me bastard!" Kageyama says, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I didn't! I called you bastardyama!" Hinata says, and before Kageyama can retaliate Hinata is turning around, throwing up more. Kageyama winces. It's kind of disgusting. He kind of wants to leave, but mostly he doesn't. He doesn't want Hinata to throw up at all.

He tries to remember what to do when someone is sick, and when Hinata keeps ignoring him in favour of throwing up he jogs back to the house and into the kitchen, finding some paper towels and filling up a red plastic cup with water before he makes his way back outside where Hinata has stopped throwing up again.

"Are you done?" Kageyama says, eyeing Hinata with caution. He doesn't want to get thrown up on after all.

"I think so?" Hinata says, but he still looks pale and clammy, and not really sure at all.

Kageyama thrusts the paper towel and the water towards him, spilling some water over his hands in the process. "Here!"

Hinata looks at him warily, but then takes the towels and wipes his face, and then grabs the cup, sniffing at it suspiciously.

"It's water," Kageyama grunts.

Hinata drinks a little, and then he empties the cup entirely. He looks a little better when he's done and gives Kageyama a weak smile, so unlike those Kageyama has seen before. He probably shouldn't be at a party at all, he should be home in bed or something.

"Where do you even live?" he asks, looking away.

"Uhm, in the Grossman building?" Hinata says. Kageyama knows where it is, it's where he lived last year.

"Fitting," Kageyama mumbles, and when Hinata looks at him, not getting the connection between Grossman and being gross because he's been throwing up. Probably just as well. Kageyama is sure that if Hinata wasn't drunk he'd be pissed off at him for that one.

Kageyama starts to walk back towards the house, and when Hinata doesn't follow he calls out over his shoulder, "Are you coming? I'll follow you home." He doesn't think it is a good idea for Hinata to walk alone. He's still drunk, and it's not safe.

Hinata makes a half-way excited noise, something like _Bwaah_ , Kageyama isn't sure, but then he hurries after him.

They make their way through the crowd, and at some point Hinata latch onto his elbow, and somehow that makes it less bad to walk through the mass of people.

Out on the porch he sees Sugawara talking to Daichi, leaning close together in a way that's more than friendly. Their eyes meet for a moment, and Sugawara smiles, but it looks less like those polite smiles he usually gives, and more like something else entirely. Kageyama doesn't know what, but for some reason he thinks it's because of Hinata, who is still hanging off of his arm.

Kageyama stiffens his shoulders, tries to ignore the heat crawling in his neck as he pulls Hinata along in the direction of the Grossman building.

The first few minutes are spent in silence. Hinata seems to have more than enough putting one foot in front of the other, but the fresh air must've helped to sober him up, because soon he starts chattering away. He's talking about school (he's a freshman like Kageyama had thought, studying to be a preschool teacher), about his hobbies (he likes sports and that's about it), work (he bugged the owner of the ice cream shop for a week until he got the job). Kageyama doesn't say much back apart from answering Hinata's questions. (He's a sophomore studying to become a physical therapist, he likes sports too, and when Hinata ask why he likes ice cream so much he just presses his lips together and jostles Hinata enough that his focus is on walking and not falling over.

It's nice to walk like this. It's not too cold outside, and Hinata is a small ball of energy at his side, his hand warm where it's still curled around his elbow, although Hinata could probably walk on his own by now. Kageyama doesn't say anything about it.

"Kageyama, you'll come to play volleyball with us again, yeah?" Hinata says, tugging at Kageyama's arm to get him to look at him.

Hinata's eyes are wide, and he's grinning, and his hair is more of a mess than usual, and Kageyama wants to… he wants to…

"You can toss me lots! I really liked hitting your toss," Hinata says, disrupting Kageyama's train of thoughts, which was probably just as well, or he would have done something stupid.

"Maybe," Kageyama states, but he knows he's probably going to come next week as well.

Hinata derails with a long and very detailed retelling of some anime he watches that Kageyama has never heard about before, and soon they are standing in front of Hinata's building. Hinata bounces up on the first step, which makes him taller, but still not as tall as Kageyama, and then he slings his arms around Kageyama's shoulders, pulling him into a hug.

Kageyama freezes, arms stiff by his side. He has no idea what he should do with them. Should he hug Hinata back?

Hinata pulls back before he can decide, and he feels the loss as a chill where Hinata was just pressed up against him.

"Oh no," Hinata mutters, and it's definitely not the reaction Kageyama want from someone hugging him, and he intends to tell Hinata that, glaring down at him.

The glare washes away as he sees Hinata. His cheeks have an almost green tinge, and he's looking mildly panicked, his arms wrapped protectively around his stomach.

"I think maybe… one more time," he groans out, barely managing to turn around before he is barfing again.

* * *

Two days later Kageyama is walking across campus, seeing the familiar storefront of the ice cream shop. He has purposefully stayed away the last days, not wanting to seem eager to see Hinata or something. The last time he did see him Hinata was throwing up in the bushes outside his building, before sheepishly giving Kageyama a wave as he vanished inside, insisting that he was fine and didn't need Kageyama to follow him to the door. Kageyama nodded but didn't leave until well after the door had slammed. Then he'd shoved his hands deep in his pockets with a sigh and started walking back towards his own dorm. The other bed was empty, and Sugawara didn't come back inside at all that night, and now Kageyama was pretty sure he knew where Sugawara spent the nights he wasn't there. He didn't know if Daichi and Sugawara were boyfriends, but he was pretty sure that's who Sugawara was spending the night with.

Kageyama swallows hard. He has never had a boyfriend at all, so he doesn't know how it is, but just the thought of it has him thinking about Hinata, about leaning close when he talks to him, and then going home with him, sleeping next to him and…

He gazes hard at his shoes, almost afraid they'll spontaneously combust from the sheer force of it as he fights back the blush creeping over his neck and cheeks.

He's barely talked to Hinata, there is no point in thinking about these things. Hinata won't be interested in that anyway, not with him.

No, he is going to go inside, order an ice cream, maybe ask how Hinata is feeling, and if he gets one of those wide grins it is really all he needs.

The bell over the door announces his entrance, and Kageyama lifts his gaze towards the counter, expecting to see Hinata there, ready to make another lopsided scoop, but there is a girl behind the counter, and Kageyama's heart sinks a little bit. He really hoped he could have seen Hinata today, had been thinking about it during his morning class, not paying attention at all. Hinata is probably going to make him fail anatomy, but he isn't sure he even minds.

"Hi! Can I help you?" the girl asks, smiling, but it is wrong, because it isn't Hinata's smile.

Kageyama hesitates, then shake his head and turns around, making to leave. He didn't come here for the ice cream anyway.

The bell over the door rings, and when Kageyama looks up he sees Hinata standing right in front of him, hands on knees as he breathes hard. "Sorry, Yui! Class ran late and I—" Hinata says in-between heaving breaths. He has obviously been running. His hair's a mess, and he's wearing a hoodie that is at least two sizes too big for him, and his cheeks are all red, and he looks so cute Kageyama just freezes, going full-on frightened deer staring down its imminent doom on the highway.

"Kageyama!" Hinata exclaims, straightening up as if he has forgotten that he was exhausted from running.

Kageyama doesn't say anything, doesn't know what he should say, because this isn't what he had planned at all, and now his mind is spinning, trying to think of something to say, but he can't even remember what he had prepared to begin with.

"Are you here to buy ice cream?" Hinata asks, smiling at him as he pushes too long sleeves up to his elbows, giving a little shake of his head that fluffs it up more than it already was doing.

"I… I," Kageyama starts. "I was just leaving," he then blurts. He is standing right by the entrance, of course Hinata will know he was just leaving.

Hinata's smile seems to falter for a split second before it's back, bright and beautiful. "Did you eat your ice cream already?"

"I, no, I didn't buy one," Kageyama mutters, looking away, hands fidgeting where he's buried them in his pockets.

Hinata cocks his head to the side, eyes narrowing as he looks at him as if he's trying to work something out. "Why didn't you?" he says, drawing out the why as if he's trying to find the answer himself even as he's asking it.

"I don't like ice cream that much really," Kageyama says, only realising his mistake the moment the words spill out. It really is too much to ask for Hinata not to realise the implications of that statement.

"You don't…? But.. why did you keep coming back for them?" he asks, and when he narrows his eyes like that Kageyama swears Hinata looks like a confused little bird. A really cute, fluffy bird.

He doesn't know what to say, he's dug himself into a hole. He can't say that he kept coming back because of Hinata, because that's weird, and Hinata will think he's weird and he's basically ruined everything, just because he didn't buy an ice cream, and because Hinata was too late, and because the universe hates him.

"I… I… got to go," he says, panicking slightly, and then he's walking around Hinata towards the exit, and then he's running, and he feels the backpack slam against his shoulder as he does, because he's only slung it over the one, and he's hoping that he closed the zipper properly or everything he has in it will spill all over campus.

He's sure he can feel Hinata's gaze in his neck as he sprints across the quad. He has one more class today, but he doesn't care, so he runs back to his dorm room instead.

The backpack falls to the floor with the heavy thump of too many school books, and then he's collapsing onto the bed, eyes stinging as he stares up at the ceiling, the cracks blurring.

He's so stupid. By now Hinata will probably have decided that he's a weirdo that keeps coming into an ice cream shop when he doesn't even like ice cream, and now he can't go back there at all, and he won't see Hinata any more.

He blinks angrily at the tears in his eyes, and one spill over, trailing down the side of his face, landing on his ear, prickling as it slides down the edge, and turns from drop to wet trail that leaves him itching.

He has no idea how long he's just lying there, staring into nothing, trying not to think about Hinata but failing miserably, but at some point there's a click of the door, and Kageyama remembers that he has a roommate, and he doesn't want Sugawara to see him like this, so he presses the heels of his hands to his eyes, willing any possible tears to go away.

"Kageyama?" he hears Sugawara say quietly.

He doesn't take his hands away from his eyes, but croaks out a, "Yeah." His voice breaks slightly.

He hears Sugawara walking towards him. "Kageyama, are you okay?" Sugawara asks, and his voice is soft and kind. Kageyama wants to say that he is fine, but he can't get the words out, so he lets go of a strained breath.

"Did something happen?" Sugawara says, and for some reason Kageyama is reminded of the way his mom would talk to him when he was sick. Kageyama hesitates, then takes his hands away, keeping his gaze steadily on the ceiling. His eyes are probably red, even though he didn't really cry, just almost, but pressing his hands into his eyeballs was probably not a good idea if he didn't want red eyes.

Sugawara leans over him, and he looks so worried. As if he actually cares about whether or not Kageyama is alright, even though they have only been roommates for a month, and Kageyama has barely spoken to him at all.

Kageyama finds himself nodding tersely, pointedly looking away from Sugawara.

"Will you tell me about it?"

Kageyama tries to find the right words, but nothing comes to mind that doesn't make it sound so, so stupid. He indirectly told Hinata that he kept going to the ice cream shop even if he didn't like ice cream. It wasn't even certain that Hinata would interpret it as anything other than Kageyama being a little weird, but Kageyama was just so certain that Hinata would have realised that it meant that Kageyama was maybe in love with him, or at the very least crushing hard, and then Hinata would be so weirded out, because he didn't even really know Kageyama, and now Kageyama would never get to know Hinata, because he was officially the _weirdo_.

Kageyama knows that it is stupid, that most people wouldn't really care that much, but Kageyama has never liked anyone like he likes Hinata, and he doesn't really know how to act around people, but for a short moment he had maybe thought that he could have learned. The smile Hinata had given him at the park when they played volleyball as he demanded more tosses and then walking him home after the party, and Hinata hugging him, as if that wasn't a big deal at all, as if he wanted to hug Kageyama.

He could've just stayed in the shop, laughed and said that he had decided that it was too cold for an ice cream, and then they'd be fine, but he'd ran, and now Hinata would definitely think he was weird.

"Kageyama, is it something about Hinata?" Sugawara asks.

Kageyama's eyes widen in shock, and for a moment he forgot himself and glances towards Sugawara. How does Sugawara know about Hinata? He hadn't even talked about him before, and apart from seeing them walk home together after the… shit, Kageyama just realised how that probably had looked to Sugawara. It hadn't been anything like that, Kageyama had just walked Hinata home to be sure he stayed safe. Really.

"You like him don't you?" Sugawara continues, and Kageyama just wants to disappear through the mattress.

He doesn't answer, just presses his lips tight as he looks away. If Sugawara knows, does that mean that everyone… Does everyone know that he likes Hinata? Do they talk about it? Stupid Kageyama who thinks Hinata could ever like someone like him?

Sugawara stands by the side of his bed for a couple of minutes before he turns and walks away. Kageyama doesn't blame him, he wouldn't have wanted to hang around him either.

He focuses on the cracks in the ceiling again, tracing one of them, trying to push thoughts of orange hair and bright smiles away from his mind altogether, not managing at all. He almost forgets about Sugawara until he feels someone grab his foot yanking him around so he hangs with his feet outside the bed.

He protests wildly, flailing a bit until he can get his hands under him and push up on his elbows, glaring at Sugawara who is standing by his feet, looking very pleased with himself, a soft smile on his face that isn't nearly as innocent as it might appear at first.

"Sit up," he says, and somehow Kageyama does, scooting up so he has his back against the wall, and his legs tucked to his chest, long arms wrapped around them. Somehow it didn't even strike him to say no to Sugawara.

A bottle of water is pushed into his hands, and he takes it, unscrewing and taking a sip when Suga keeps looking at him as if he's waiting for Kageyama to do just that.

"I saw the way you looked at him when we played volleyball, and then at the party," Suga says, and Kageyama wants to run again, but he doesn't. He's pretty sure Suga would catch him and drag him back here.

Sugawara sits down on the bed next to Kageyama and bumps his shoulder against his.

"You know, it took Daichi months to gather up the guts to ask me out," he says, and Kageyama glances at him, sceptical.

"How would you even know that?"

Suga laughs, something in between a chuckle and a giggle. "Let's just say he wasn't as discreet as he thought he was. Just like someone else." There's a pointed glance directed at him, and Kageyama's fingers tighten around the bottle.

"Don't worry, I don't think anyone else knows," Sugawara continues.

"They don't?" Kageyama asks.

Sugawara shakes his head.

Kageyama tilts his head back against the wall. Only Sugawara knows, he can live with that. Now he just needs to stay away from Hinata and it'll be fine and he can…

"I think you should ask him out," Suga says, and Kageyama's fingers clench around the bottle hard, splashing water over himself. He hisses at the cold and quickly screws the cap back on, ignoring the way Sugawara is chuckling at him as he tries to wipe off the water now drenching his pants.

He gives up and thumps his head back against the wall. Then he thumps it one more time for good measure.

* * *

The third time Kageyama approaches the door to the ice cream shop he finally pushes it open and walks inside to the merry song of a tiny bell. Yesterday he had turned away at the sight of the storefront before his class, and he had just gotten close enough to see Hinata through the window on his second try before he turned around and went home.

The moment Hinata looks up at him and smiles he regrets. He never should have come. What is he even supposed to say? _Please go out with me, I promise I'm not a weirdo?_ That sounds like something a weirdo would say, for sure.

Kageyama's arms are pressed down his side, hands fisted tightly as he briskly steps up to the counter.

"Hey, Kageyama!" Hinata says. There's no one else in the shop, so he is just standing there as if he was waiting for Kageyama all along.

"Do you want an ice cream today?" Hinata says, a bit hesitant, no doubt remember Kageyama's statement from the other day that he didn't really like ice cream. He still hasn't figured out how he should explain that one away.

Kageyama hadn't really planned to buy ice cream. He had just wanted to talk to Hinata, to apologise maybe. Sugawara had kept insisting he should ask Hinata out, but he didn't think he could do that without just dying of embarrassment. No doubt Hinata would say no anyway.

"Yes," he finally says, because why else do people go into ice cream shops if not to buy ice cream. He digs out some cash from his pocket, counts out just enough for a scoop of vanilla and place it on the counter.

Hinata doesn't say anything on his like or dislike for the ice cream in question, he just grabs the spoon, steels himself and starts the scoop. He looks concentrated as he slowly drags the scooper over the ice cream, and the ice cream finally curls up perfectly.

Kageyama sees the glee flash over Hinata's eyes as if they are sparkling, and then he sees all of Hinata's teeth as he grins up at him. He grabs a cone, one with chocolate and pink sprinkles—Kageyama doesn't think Hinata even looks at the cone, he just grabs one at random—and then he carefully places the scoop on top of it, pressing it down just enough to ensure it doesn't fall off as he lifts it over the counter, presenting it to Kageyama, looking so pleased with himself Kageyama can swear he feels his heart stutter just a bit.

Kageyama takes the cone, and as his fingers brush against Hinata's he soaks up that splitsecond of skin against skin before Hinata pulls away again.

Kageyama wants to say something, anything, but his mind is blank, so he just nods in thanks and then moves to leave.

"Hey, Kageyama!" Hinata suddenly yells after him, and Kageyama stops and turns back, wondering if he's done something wrong.

"Do you have class now?" Hinata asks.

"Not until four," Kageyama answers. It's only three now, so it's almost an hour until class starts.

"Wanna keep me company?" Hinata asks, as if it's the easiest thing in the world to ask of someone.

Kageyama hesitates, then he realises that Hinata just made it so easy for him. "Yes," he says, trying to appear as if it's no big deal at all, but he hears how he put a little too much force behind the word, making it more of a YES than the casual yes he had been aiming for. Hinata doesn't seem to notice.

Hinata comes out from behind the counter and sits down on one of the small round tables, and Kageyama joins him.

He only eats the ice cream because Hinata points out that it's starting to melt, and the rest of the time he just listens to Hinata talk. He likes listening to him. Hinata seems to not mind that Kageyama doesn't always know what to say back, but he also asks questions that has Kageyama have to try to come up with good answers. (He doesn't know what his favourite animal is, none of them seems to like him much anyway, his favourite food is pork curry, and he chose physical therapy studies because he wants to work with athletes, maybe.)

He thinks he would have forgotten all about class if not for the customers that came in every ten minutes or so, forcing Hinata to go back to a work, giving Kageyama a stern order to stay seated because Hinata was coming right back and he really wanted Kageyama to tell him where he learned to play volleyball, and Kageyama nods every time, until the time when Hinata gets up to make more scoops and says that Kageyama should go to class, because Hinata is probably going to get really good at volleyball while he's at college and he's going to need a personal therapist to make sure he's fit for fight.

Kageyama doesn't say anything about how maybe it's going to take more than a friendly game in the park once a week to become really good at volleyball, he just nods quickly, picks up his backpack and hurries to class.

He knows he is grinning by the way people flinch away from him, but he doesn't care.

Tomorrow he's going to buy one more ice cream, and then he's asking Hinata out for sure.

* * *

Half-way through the previews Kageyama gets the feeling that maybe Hinata doesn't know that this was supposed to be a date. He should maybe have realised earlier considering the fact that Hinata brought Noya and Tanaka along.

He sinks lower in his seat and clutches the bucket of popcorn to his chest, angrily shovelling handfuls into his mouth, almost choking on them at one point, making Hinata thump his back hard in an attempt to help.

He's glad the lights are turned down low because he's pretty sure his face is flaming red and his eyes watering when he clears his airway of popcorn and takes a deep slurp of soda.

Hinata is suddenly in his face, twisted around in his seat, hands pressed to Kageyama's cheeks. Kageyama is sure Hinata can feel the warmth of his cheeks only get warmer, but he doesn't say anything about it. Instead, he gives him a very worried look. "Are you dead, Kageyama?"

Kageyama shoves Hinata's face away with a muttered, "Dumbass."

Hinata spends the rest of the previews bouncing in his seat, eating candy and talking to Noya who is sitting next to him in voices that they probably think are hushed but really aren't.

It's an action movie, with lots of fighting and car chases and screaming, but it's not half-bad, and Kageyama finds the excited noises Hinata make next to him kind of endearing, and he mostly forgets that it was supposed to be a date, and just enjoys the movie.

He had maybe envisioned that they'd hold hands or something, but Hinata's elbow touch against his where it's perched on the armrest, and it's enough.

A particularly exciting move from the main character has Hinata twitch as if he wanted to try to do the same even though he is sitting in a chair, and somehow he manages to send his box of candy flying to the ground, little chocolates rolling all over the carpet.

Kageyama hears a small wounded noise from Hinata, and he is quick to thrust his bucket of popcorn in Hinata's direction, distracting him from the lost candy.

He feels Hinata looking at him, and when he peers out of the corner of his eyes he sees a flash of white teeth from a grin, and he slumps further into the seat, pulling the collar of his hoodie over his mouth to hide the smile that threatens to break out full power, sneaking just one more look at Hinata before turning his attention on the movie again. He's so in love with Hinata it's actually stupid.

"And it just _bwah_!" Hinata exclaims in excitement, arms thrown wide to emphasise just how bwah it was. Kageyama nods eagerly in agreement. He knows exactly what Hinata means. He's glad they went here, even though it didn't end up being an actual date. He still got to spend time with Hinata, and he likes that a lot.

He had been planning to ask him out all properly, but never got around to it, because he had no idea how to actually do something like that. In the end, he had just gone to the ice cream shop while it was quiet, ordered an ice cream and talked to Hinata over the counter.

Somehow they had ended up talking about movies, and Hinata had mentioned that he wanted to see this one. Kageyama almost let the moment slip away from him, but then he spat out a mumbled, "Maybe we should go see it," and Hinata had agreed in his over-exuberant way, and soon Kageyama found himself planning when and where. He only realised how clammy his hands were when he walked outside and tossed the now half-melted ice cream cone in the trash, parts of it sticking to his palm where it had gone all mushy.

Kageyama had not paid any attention in the following class, but rather thought about Hinata, and the fact that they were going on a date.

It's almost weird that he's not more disappointed it was more of a friendly outing than a date, but he really isn't. He wants to spend time around Hinata, and whether it's as friends or not doesn't really matter.

Noya and Tanaka might be too loud for him, but he figures it could be worse.

All four of them walk back towards campus together, but soon Noya and Tanaka veer off to head back to their house, and then it's only the two of them walking, and somehow it feels almost as if it is actually a date, and Kageyama gets nervous again.

Hinata doesn't seem to notice as he is bouncing along the sidewalk, pulling just a little ahead. Kageyama notices and ups his speed just enough to walk beside him again.

"Hey, Kageyama?" Hinata says and peers over at him. "I bet I'm faster than you."

Before Kageyama can even process that statement Hinata takes off, sprinting down the sidewalk with a giggle. The next second Kageyama is running too, nervousness and awkwardness forgotten in a fit of competitiveness he hadn't been prepared for at all.

His heart is beating in his chest in an echo of his feet as he runs right beside Hinata. He would've thought he could have easily outrun Hinata with his shorter legs, but Hinata is fast, like really fast, and he can barely keep up with him at all.

They dodge through people, and Hinata's laughter fills his ears as their sneakers slam against the pavement, and Kageyama is grinning and running and he feels more alive than ever before.

They are side by side, hands brushing once or twice as they run, but it doesn't matter at all, all that matters is to run, but soon they are nearing Hinata's building, and then they are stopping.

Hinata is still giggling as he collapses onto the patch of grass outside the building, and Kageyama drops down next to him. He's not giggling, he doesn't think he knows how, but he's grinning, and not even caring that he probably looks scary (that's what people keep telling him anyway).

They spend the next minutes catching their breaths, lying there next to each other, staring up at the sky. It's grey from a thin layer of clouds, and the air is cool around them, fall already starting to settle in. Kageyama silently wonders what the others do when it starts snowing and they can't play volleyball any more. Do they stop for the winter, or do they have somewhere else to play? He thinks maybe he could like playing with them, thinks maybe this time it will be different.

Next to him there's a rustle as Hinata scrambles to his feet, shakes off some grass that stuck to his back, and then he reaches a hand out towards Kageyama.

Kageyama stares at him with narrow eyes. Does Hinata really think he's strong enough to pull Kageyama up from the ground? Sometimes he wonders if Hinata even realises how short he is.

The hand in front of his face shakes, and he grabs it, indulging Hinata.

He gets to his feet, and Hinata looks very pleased, even if Kageyama did most of it himself, but he's not going to tell Hinata that.

"Gimme your phone," Hinata says, and Kageyama doesn't have it in him to protest, so he pulls it out of his pocket and turns it on, handing it over. He watches as Hinata's slim fingers drag across the screen, and then he hands it back with a big smile on his face.

"There! I added my number!" He says and points out where there's a new number in his phone book, marked with HINATA and a few emojis Kageyama didn't even know his phone had. "I sent a message to my own phone, so now I have your number too, you know, so we can plan when we should hang again" Hinata continues as if he needs to explain. Actually, it was a good thing he did explain, because Kageyama would have had no idea why Hinata wanted them to exchange numbers.

Hinata wants to hang with him again.

Kageyama stuffs his phone back in his pocket, and Hinata says goodbye as he vanishes inside. As the door slams shut Kageyama pulls the phone back out and opens Hinata's number one more time, just to look at it.

* * *

The number of times he brings up Hinata's number, considering texting or calling him is, quite frankly, embarrassing. He's lying in bed, textbooks spread around him but duly ignored as he types up a message, and then deletes it again. He puts the phone away, pressing his hands to his face and groans loudly. This was so much easier when Hinata was just the cute guy working in the ice cream shop.

The door to the dorm room opens and Kageyama glances over to see Sugawara walking in, Daichi following behind him.

It's as if Sugawara has some second sense that tells him when Kageyama is thinking about Hinata because he gives a very knowing smile as he drops his backpack next to his desk and goes to rummage through his wardrobe. Daichi hovers awkwardly by the front door.

"I was just telling Kageyama how you took months to ask me out," Sugawara says as he inspects a shirt and then discards it again.

"You, ah... Did?" Daichi asks, and Kageyama can swear he's blushing.

"Can you tell Kageyama that it wasn't nearly as terrifying when you actually did it?"

Daichi shuffles, hands in his pockets. "Ah, yes, not… terrifying…"

He doesn't really seem all that sure. Kageyama doesn't blame him. Asking Sugawara out seems like it would be even more daunting than asking Hinata out.

Suga pulls out a sweater and appears to deem it acceptable, because he pulls it on over his t-shirt, shaking his hair back in order. Kageyama can see how Daichi watches Suga with a fond look in his eyes. Kageyama wonders if he looks at Hinata in the same way.

"You should send him a message," Suga says as he pulls Daichi with him out the door.

Kageyama stares at his phone. He should send Hinata a message. He knows he should. But knowing isn't the problem, doing is the problem. He has no idea what to write that doesn't come off as creepy or dumb or both. He lies back on the bed, jaws set firmly as he tries to talk himself into just doing it.

He pulls up Hinata's number and presses the envelope.

He just needs to write something. Anything.

 _HI._

His eyes widen in shock as he realises that he just did it. He sent a message.

Shit, why did he put it all (both) in big letters, that seems too much. He should have said something else, something more. Maybe asked Hinata something or...

His phone beeps and Kageyama is so surprised he drops it on his face.

His lip hurts a little where the corner of the phone hit it, but when he sees an incoming message from Hinata he suddenly doesn't care about that any more. He quickly opens it.

 _Kageyama! Hi! o((*^▽^*))o_

Kageyama frowns at the message. He gets the Kageyama, and the hi, but the rest makes no sense. He turns his head on the side, thinks it's maybe one of those smiley faces, but it makes even less sense like that, so he quickly highlights it and pastes it into Chrome. It might not really mean anything at all, but he doesn't want to risk making a fool of himself.

He soon realises that it is, in fact, one of those smiley faces, but this one isn't meant to be seen from the side, but the right way. He narrows his eyes as he looks at it again, and OK, he thinks he can see how it'd be a face. A really happy one. Kageyama blushes, which is dumb, because Hinata probably does that all the time, and it doesn't mean he's happy to hear from Kageyama in particular.

Kageyama should write something back, but he has no idea what. It would be really weird to just leave it like this though. Who writes to say hi and stops there? Weirdos that's who.

His phone makes another beep and suddenly there's another message from Hinata there, just underneath the first one.

 _I rly liked going to the movies w u cuz u gave me popcorn! We should do it more! Ill share my candy with u, promise! (_ _ﾉ◕ヮ◕_ _)_ _ﾉ_ _*:_ _･ﾟ✧_

Kageyama wriggles on the bed, lips pressed tight together as he reads the message, and then copies the weird symbols again because he's not sure what it's supposed to be.

 _It's fine, you can keep all the candy._

He thinks about finding an emoticon (that's what the webpage he found called them so he guesses that's what they are called) and put it at the end as well, but there's so many to choose from it's making his head spin, so he just leaves it as is.

The next message from Hinata is just a long string of more faces Kageyama has to google, interspersed with _gwaahs_ and _thank u_ and lots of exclamation marks.

The way Hinata types might make Kageyama a little dizzy, like he's caught in a whirlwind of weird symbols and exclamation marks, but he thinks he likes it.

Ha dares to send a few exclamation marks back, because those he understands at least, and Hinata seems to like it, because he gets plenty of them in return as they message back and forth. He's not sure what they are talking about, sometimes Hinata just sends emoticons, and he has to google them to see what they are, but he thinks he's getting better at understanding them. He just wants to be sure.

They text for a long while, and Kageyama should probably go to sleep soon, but he wants to keep texting. Just one more, he says to himself, even though he knows he'll keep sending them until Hinata stops.

* * *

The volleyball match dissolves in peels of laughter, mostly from Hinata, when Noya dives for a receive, tangles himself up in Tanaka's legs and drags Asahi with them into a pile of arms and legs. There's a lot of grumbling and grunting from the pile as they untangle themselves, and by then they've played for so long they decide to call it a night. Tanaka got an elbow to the ribs, and Noya's knees have been scrubbed raw against the grass, and Asahi is mostly trembling, so it's no use to go on.

Sugawara is heading over to Daichi's for the night, and Kageyama isn't in any hurry to get back to an empty dorm room, so after the others start to take off he just dumps his backpack on the grass and sits down.

Hinata had been talking to Noya, so he was sure they'd all leave together, but suddenly someone is sitting down next to him, and Hinata grins at him as he crosses his legs.

They don't say anything, but it doesn't feel awkward at all. It's nice to just sit here together, relaxing after a volleyball match that's meant to be more fun than serious. It's not like Kageyama and Hinata doesn't take it 100% serious anyway. Hinata might seem easygoing most of the time, but when he's in front of the net something comes over him, a determination to prove himself that has Kageyama's breath hitch each time it happens because he always forgets how intense Hinata gets in those moments.

Kageyama stretches out his legs, keeping himself propped up on his hands as he tilts his head back. The sun is gone today, so there's a chill in the air that makes his skin tingle. It will probably get uncomfortable soon, but not yet.

The park, which was a luscious green earlier is starting to yellow on the edges as fall settles in. Soon the green will be gone in an explosion of yellow and orange and red, and then that too will be gone until white settles over it all. Kageyama will miss playing volleyball here, but Sugawara had told him that they get to borrow the gymnasium once a week, so they can play through the winter as well, and Kageyama was oddly looking forward to the screeching of soles and the firm floor underneath his feet as he jumped.

"We should practice together," Hinata says after a while, and Kageyama finds himself nodding without even thinking it over.

"Then you can toss only for me, and you'll be all _bwaah_ and I'll just _fwaah_ and we'll win every match. Maybe we can do proper matches too, against other teams."

Hinata has been decimating the grass in front of his crossed legs as he spoke, sending small tufts of it flying as he gets excited, as if he's already envisioning their plays in his head, and Kageyama finds that he can see it too. Hinata and him on an actual volleyball court, the sound of sneakers against the floor as they jump, the echo of the ball as it's served and spiked, Hinata's hair bright under the lights as he jumps to impossible heights, always there to spike Kageyama's balls, like his tosses was always meant for him, and it's better than it ever was before. Kageyama loved volleyball before, but he never got along with his team, and it just stopped being fun, but now, this is what he's been missing. A team that doesn't talk behind his back, and Hinata.

The heat left in his body from a strenuous match is seeping out, and soon Kageyama is shivering, but he doesn't want to leave yet. It's too nice to sit here, talking about volleyball and tosses and the future on the court, and Kageyama doesn't think he ever wants to leave.

He'd thrown on a zip-up hoodie earlier, but the cool wind is going right through the cotton of the t-shirt he wears underneath, so he sits up properly, zipping it up to his neck, and then letting himself fall down to lie back against the ground. The grass is tickling his neck, but it's nice to just lie here, staring up at the grey sky, not thinking about the anatomy homework he should be doing or the fact that he's almost run out of socks and should wash clothes and maybe call his mother. She's been trying to talk to him for days, but he hasn't been up to talking. He's maybe a little afraid she'll understand he's crushing on a boy just from listening to his voice.

There's a shuffling next to him, and Hinata tosses the handful of grass he has torn up from the lawn into the air, and then he's lying back as well, a warm presence right next to him, a warm orange in his peripheral vision.

The grass is cool against the back of his hand where Kageyama lets it rest along his side, but there's a soft warmth along the side, and he realises that it's Hinata's hand, lying next to his, perfectly matched up. Kageyama is staring up into the grey, and Hinata's hand is touching his, and he wants to grab it or run away, and he doesn't know which, because one is terrifying, and one is sad, so he just lays there, not daring to move his hand even a part of an inch. He forgets the fact that they are in a park and there are people walking on pathways right by them, his whole world is narrowing until there's only the two of him, and it's so stupid, because it's just a hand against his, and it shouldn't be such a big deal, but Kageyama has never had this, someone lying next to him, hands side by side, the promise of something more on the air, something he's afraid to grab for in case he loses it altogether.

Kageyama holds his breath as the warm hand against his move, and he knows Hinata is going to pull away, and his hand will be left cold and alone, and he should be okay with it because he's used to it, but he wants more. He wants Hinata by his side, wants the brightness and warmth and energy he brings along.

Hinata doesn't pull away. His hand moves, but it's not to pull away, it's to press against Kageyama's, palm against palm. He does it as if it's the easiest thing in the world, as if his heart isn't beating in his ears like Kageyama's is.

He intertwines their fingers, makes himself comfortable, his fingers taking up the spaces between Kageyama's as if they've always belonged there, and it's so right. This space has always been Hinata's, waiting for him to take it, make it his own.

There are no monumental shifts. The world still spins in the same direction, the sky is still a monotone grey over their heads, and a persistent strand of grass is still tickling at Kageyama's ear, but there's a warm palm pressed against his, and slim fingers curled between his, and for Kageyama it seems to be the single most important moment in his life. It's small and insignificant on the grand scale of things, but for Kageyama, who has been so lonely it felt as if there was a hole in his chest, it is everything. Even if this is all there is, a hand against his on a quiet afternoon, it's enough.

He tightens his fingers around Hinata's hand, anchors it there. Then Hinata is talking about the match again, about that one really cool attack they did that left the others really flustered, and Kageyama joins his enthusiasm as they fall into discussions about what they need to work on until the next match, and they stay there until they are both shivering from the cold as the sun vanishes behind the trees, leaving them walking home in the dusk, hands only separating long enough to pull on backpacks before they are reunited, not letting go until they are standing outside the door to Hinata's dorm again where Hinata smiles at him and then vanishes inside.

Kageyama can feel the tickling of residual heat in his palm the entire walk home, and all he wants at that moment is to hold Hinata's hand one more time.

* * *

Arms wrap around Kageyama's neck, pressing against his trachea just this side of painful, but he doesn't really care. Hinata is a warm presence against his back, his strong legs wrapped around Kageyama's waist like a koala bear. A koala bear who passed shitfaced about three Noya Specials ago. He's giggling and wiggling, and Kageyama only barely manages to keep him on his back by wrapping his hands around Hinata's thighs.

He tries not to notice how his fingers make themselves home, pressing into the hard flesh. Tries not to think about the fact that he can feel Hinata's breath on his neck and his soft hair brushing his temple and his chest pressed against Kageyama's back.

Kageyama had declined Nishinoya's drinks in favour of a few beers, which led him to be one of the few people in the room not completely drunk. It had been an impromptu party to celebrate someone's birthday (Tsukishima maybe? Kageyama wasn't sure), and Hinata had texted him and said he should come, and Kageyama hadn't been able to say no, because it was Hinata asking, and Hinata would be there, and maybe he'd be able to hold his hand again at some point.

He didn't. Hinata was well on his way to tipsy by the time Kageyama arrived, and even if Kageyama tried to get close to him it seemed like everyone had decided that he should not be allowed so, because there was always someone around, whisking Hinata away to drink or dance.

Kageyama spent most of the party sitting on a couch, watching Hinata and wishing he could be the one who pulled Hinata along to dance, but just thinking about it made his body tense up, so he watched, and wished.

It was Suga that had sat down next to him and said that maybe someone should walk Hinata home soon, and Kageyama had blushed and nodded sharply, taking his mission to heart. It was easier when he had a purpose to go up to Hinata.

Hinata hadn't even complained when Kageyama walked up to him and asked if he should follow him home, just started bargaining that he'd do so, but only if Kageyama would carry him.

Kageyama hadn't considered just what it would entail, so he'd said yes and Hinata had immediately pushed at him until Kageyama turned around and then jumped onto his back, pointing towards the door, so Kageyama had started walking, a little baffled at what was happening.

He almost expects Hinata to fall asleep. Surely all that energy must wear out at some point, but Hinata keeps talking. Kageyama only catches about half of it, the rest of the words flow together, but it's nice. Nice to hear Hinata's voice, to feel his weight on his back. He thinks he could walk like this all night, all week, forever probably, but soon the Grossman building is coming up.

He stops in front of the main doors, thinking Hinata will jump off, but Hinata just leans over his shoulder with a keycard in his hand, and wiggles around until Kageyama understands and bends his knees enough that Hinata can reach to slide the card through the keycard reader. There's a flash of green, and the door open.

"Lesgo!" Hinata slurs excitedly, and Kageyama thinks it's supposed to mean _let's go_ , so he goes.

The building is quiet, and Kageyama doesn't know where to go, but Hinata points at a set of stairs, so he walks there. His thighs complain a little by the time he reaches the second floor, but he ignores it, and heads in the direction Hinata is pointing until they stand in front of a door and they again reach down to slide the card through a reader.

The room is pretty identical to the one Kageyama had been in last year. Two beds, two dressers, two desks. Both beds are empty, so Hinata's roommate isn't in, which is probably good, because Hinata keeps talking, and would have probably woken him.

Hinata unlatches himself from Kageyama's body and drops to the floor, nearly toppling over. He giggles as he points at one of the beds. "Is mine!" he says proudly. Kageyama could have probably maybe have guessed. The sheets are bright orange with black birds on them, unmade, and there are clothes spread out all over that side of the room.

Then Hinata is starting to tug at his hoodie, pulling it over his head, and Kageyama looks away, blushing furiously. He has no idea what he's supposed to do. Leave probably, but Hinata is still talking, even with his head somewhere inside his hoodie as he pulls at the material.

He's stuck.

It shouldn't be adorable, but it really, really is, especially when Hinata squawks and starts jumping around. He's really drunk, but not obnoxiously drunk, just cute drunk.

"Kageyamaaaa, help me," Hinata whines, jumping up and down as if that is going to dislodge him from the hoodie.

Kageyama gulps but can't say no to Hinata so he reaches forward, grabbing the hoodie and pulling it up until Hinata's head pops free. His hair is all tousled, and his cheeks a little red from jumping around, but he's grinning at Kageyama, looking so happy it makes Kageyama want to do something. He doesn't know what. Punch a wall maybe. Or maybe kiss Hinata. He isn't sure, he's all confused.

Then Hinata is crawling into his bed, kicking off his jeans as he does, which only leaves him in boxers, and Kageyama is pointedly looking away the moment he realises. His arms are stiff down his side, hands fisted, and he really doesn't know what he's supposed to do now.

Then he hears snoring, and he looks back at Hinata in disbelief. Seconds ago he was in the middle of a story about this one classmate that had done something really funny in a class last week, and the next he was asleep, snoring softly. _Cute_.

Kageyama stands there for another moment, confused and a little dazed. Being around Hinata usually made him feel like that, like he had been caught in a whirlwind, but it was a good confused. Now he was mostly confused-confused though.

He turns to leave, but in the doorway he turns around one more time to look at Hinata, heart thumping in his chest.

* * *

Kageyama is in the middle of class when he feels his phone vibrating in his pocket. He considers ignoring it, but curiosity gets the better of him, and he slides it out, opening it under his desk. There's a new message, and he immediately unlocks the phone and opens the message. There are very few people who ever message him, if any, so chances are big that it's…

His lips quirk into a smile as he sees Hinata's name as the sender, but the smile falters when he reads the message.

 _SOS! Need help!_

Kageyama is out of his chair before he's really realised he's moving, and then he grabs his stuff and just about runs out the door, ignoring the way his classmates and the teacher probably stare after him. He hitches his backpack on a shoulder and quickly types back, asking where Hinata is.

His phone buzzes a second later, as if Hinata was already halfway through typing the message.

 _My hero! (*^▽^*) Outside the library!_

Kageyama is only a few buildings over, and running brings him there in less than a minute. It's not hard to spot Hinata where he sits on a low wall, feet dangling over the edge. Kageyama rushes over, already scanning Hinata for any damages. He has no idea what has happened, but it's probably serious, and Hinata better not die on him!

Hinata looks up, and his face split in a grin that doesn't make it appear as if he's dying at all.

Kageyama skids to a halt in front of him.

"Kageyama! Woah! Did you run all the way from home? You're like really fast!"

Kageyama frowns. Hinata doesn't really sound distressed at all.

"I was in class, what happened?" Kageyama says. No one would have been able to run from his building to the library in only a few minutes, even Hinata should realise this.

"You left class?" Hinata asks, and he looks almost… embarrassed for a moment.

"You typed SOS, that means it's an emergency, right? Of course I left class, I thought you were like dead or something."

"Oh, uhm," Hinata starts, fidgeting. "Maybe it wasn't that kind of emergency."

Kageyama just stares at him, waiting for the explanation Hinata is obviously working on.

"Okay, so I was late for class, so I was running like woosh, and then I kind of fell. And it hurt so much, Kageyama!"

Kageyama looks over Hinata's body again, looking for bleeding knees or bruises or something, but Hinata looks fine. There's dirt along one thigh that might be caused by rubbing against the ground, but he can't see anything else.

Hinata seems to realise what Kageyama is doing, so he grabs the leg of his jeans and shimmies it up his calf. He gesticulates towards his ankle, but Kageyama still can't really see anything wrong, so he peers back up at Hinata.

"It's probably broken, it hurts so much," Hinata says, wiggling his foot, face scrunching up in pain as he does.

Kageyama kneels down, lifting the foot in his hands, gently pressing fingers to the ankle, trying not to think too much about Hinata's skin against the pads of his fingers, or how the hair on his leg is really soft and so light it's almost invisible.

Hinata's face is screwed up as if he's trying not to complain but having a really hard time with it as Kageyama gently moves the foot, assessing the damage as best he can, trying to remember stuff from his classes and suddenly regretting not paying more attention.

"I don't think it's broken. It's probably just sprained?"

Hinata gasps in shock. "Sprained? Will I die?"

"Dumbass Hinata," Kageyama mumbles and looks away. It's not fair that Hinata is all cute, and how Kageyama just wants to squish his cheeks together to see what happens. He'd probably still look cute. Maybe even cuter.

"Should we call for an ambulance?" Hinata's eyes are wide in fear.

"It's a sprain, you just need to put ice on it."

"Ice cream?"

"No, _ice_ , like ice packs, or, like a bag of frozen peas?"

Hinata's looks concentrated, as if he's thinking really really hard.

"I don't have that," he states. "Does that mean I'll never walk again?" His mouth parts on a gasp.

Kageyama looks away, trying to compose himself. Cute, cute, cute.

He looks back and draws in a quick breath, talking before he chickens out. "I have ice packs at home?"

He's studying to be a physical therapist, and he used to train volleyball several times a week, of course he has ice packs.

"Then I'm coming home with you. It hurts, Kageyama, and I don't want to have to start using a wheelchair!"

Kageyama turns stiffly, swings his backpack on over his chest and crouches down in front of Hinata.

"Huh?" Hinata says.

Kageyama wiggles his hands a little. "I'll carry you."

He hears Hinata make an excited noise, and then he jumps on Kageyama's back, arms and legs wrapping around him, and then Kageyama is carrying Hinata back to his dorm room. He feels like everyone they meet are looking at them, but they probably aren't, but he gets so flustered that he has to duck his head to hide the redness that probably spreads over his cheeks as he stomps his way across campus.

When he unlocks the door and heads inside he sees Suga sitting at the desk, books spread around him, in the middle of studying. He turns around when Kageyama walks inside, and smiles, in a way that makes it appear as if he knows something Kageyama doesn't.

"Hello Kageyama, Hinata," he says cheerily, and Hinata waves at him over Kageyama's shoulder as Kageyama hurry towards his bed, plopping Hinata down on top of it before he rushes over to his chest of drawers, pulling out an icepack and snapping it.

"I'm going to go to Daichi's for the night, I need help with school work," Suga says. It's a little suspicious how he's out the door less than two minutes after Kageyama walked in, and most of his school books appear to still be on his desk, but Kageyama doesn't answer it, just nods a goodbye at Suga and walks back towards Hinata.

Hinata has crawled onto his bed properly, curled around Kageyama's pillow as he pouts.

"Kageyama, will I ever play volleyball again?" he asks, sounding completely serious, a slight quiver to his voice, and Kageyama thinks maybe Hinata is going to start crying, but he really hopes not, because he has no idea how to make someone stop crying.

"Dumbass," Kageyama mutters, even if he doesn't mean it, but he suddenly realised that Hinata is in his room, on his bed, and he has no idea what he's supposed to do.

His hands are cold, but it's not until Hinata whines again that he startles out of his daze and kneels by the bed, hand reaching out to push Hinata to lie properly, but he hesitates, a little afraid of touching him, even though he just carried him all across campus.

"You should lie on your back," he says, voice sounding a little strained. He wants to do this properly to make sure Hinata will be fine. They've learned about this in class, and there's this thing he was supposed to memorise that would make it easy to remember how to treat a sprain, but he can't recall all the letters, and he doesn't want to forget a step.

He knows the ankle needs rest, so he figures he did that already with carrying Hinata home. Then there's ice, and…

"Rice," Kageyama mutters as he finally remembers, and Hinata blinks up at him.

"Rice?" he asks. "I'm not really hungry?"

Kageyama blushes as he realises why Hinata misunderstood him, and now he feels stupid.

"No, it's, no, just, R.I.C.E," he quickly says, stumbling over his words as he spells it out. "Rest, ice, compression and elevation."

Hinata still looks confused, but then he shakes his head, curls bouncing, and when he catches Kageyama's gaze again he looks so determined. "I trust you," he says, and the words make Kageyama all weird and tingly inside, and he nods sharply. He won't mess up, no way.

He grabs a few pillows that are scattered at the top of his bed, and pile them up neatly near Hinata's foot. "Okay, so you should lie back and put your foot here, because it needs to be elevated," he says, and it's probably the most he's ever said to Hinata, but it's easier like this, when he's on a mission.

Hinata does as he's told, squirming his way down the bed until he can prop his foot up.

Kageyama takes the ice pack and presses it to Hinata's ankle, and sees how goosebumps prick up all over Hinata's leg. He probably shouldn't stare, but it's kind of hard not to.

He guesses they should have put on an icepack earlier, but he doesn't go around with them in his pocket, so this will have to do.

"Make sure it doesn't fall," Kageyama says before heading back to his box of medical stuff, most of which his mom had given him when he moved out. He was sure there were bandages in there somewhere.

Kageyama pushes some stuff around. Gel to treat burns, several different kinds of painkillers, bandaids in all kinds of sizes. Then there's stuff to cleanse wounds, as well as lots of medication Kageyama doesn't even know what is for. Condoms.

He suddenly realises just what's in his hand and drops the foil packet as if was on fire, and he can feel his neck on fire with embarrassment and hitches up his shoulders to hide it, tucking his chin into the collar of his sweater. He's not sure it works, but at least Hinata doesn't say anything.

Finally, he gets to the bandages, several lengths neatly rolled up, and he grabs one and puts the lid back on the box, setting it down on the floor.

"The ice pack needs a while longer before I bind the ankle," Kageyama says. He has the bandages in his hands and stands by the bed and doesn't really know what to do now.

"Okay," Hinata says, peering down at the ice pack, wiggling his fingers a little before tilting his head back to look up at Kageyama. "Can you get me something to drink?" he asks, eyes wide and pleading. "I'm really thirsty, and if I'm not supposed to move…

Kageyama kind of thinks Hinata is exploiting the situation, but he also thinks he doesn't mind, so he nods, and Hinata grins up at him as he Kageyama heads to a tiny fridge standing next to his desk. It's mostly stocked with boxes of milk and a few bottles of water, but there's also a mushy something he thinks was food at some point, but is now looking more like a science experiment. He thinks his mom sent it with him when he headed back to school at the start of term. He really should do something about that, but for now he leaves the experiment and grabs the soda Hinata yells for, and then he walks back, and Hinata looks at him with wide eyes until Kageyama opens the can for him. It's worth it with the smile Hinata shoots his way.

Shit, that smile can probably make him do all kinds of things.

He fidgets, starting to unroll the bandages as he tries to remember how long the ice pack has been on Hinata's foot. Maybe ten minutes or something. It should probably be there a little longer, so he decides to carry the first aid box back to the drawer he found it in. He hesitates there, and then opens it again, pulling out an Advil. He knows it's supposed to be anti-inflammatory, so it'll probably be good.

He comes back to the bed and thrusts his hand out, shaking it a little until Hinata understand and takes the pill from his hand, popping it in his mouth and swallowing it down with a gulp of Mountain Dew. Then he burps, and his hand flies to his mouth as if he's surprised at what he just did.

Kageyama doesn't really care if he burps, so he just shrugs, and Hinata starts giggling a little behind his palm. Cute.

"Kageyamaaa," he whines a couple of minutes later. His toes are wiggling again. "It's really cold, do I have to keep the ice pack on?" He pouts, bottom lip thrust out and eyes big and Kageyama kind of wants to touch a finger to lip to see if it's as soft as it seems, but he doesn't.

He glances down at his watch, and figures that it's probably been on long enough, so he takes it off and kneels at the end of the bed. He needs to lift Hinata's foot to wrap it, so he gently places it on his thigh, and starts the job, careful to make it just as tight as it should be, careful not to hurt Hinata. Finally, he can fasten it, and Hinata wiggles his foot a little as if to test it, and Kageyama gulps as it effectively means he's rubbing his foot up against Kageyama's thigh. Hinata doesn't seem to notice though.

"Thank you, Kageyama," he says brightly, and Kageyama just nods sharply.

A moment passes where no one says anything, and then Hinata breaks the silence. "What now though, can I ever walk again?"

"Just make sure to keep it up on pillows and rest as much as you can, it will be fine soon," Kageyama says.

"Sooo, I have to stay here like, all day?" Hinata says, dramatic emphasis on the final two words.

When Kageyama nods Hinata starts squirming on the bed. "I can carry you back to your room," he offers, suddenly realising that this is like kidnapping or something, to carry a hurt Hinata back to his room and then tell him he can't leave.

Hinata throws his arms to the side, as if he's doing his best to take up all the space on Kageyama's bed, and then he shakes his head, curls bouncing. "Nah, let's hang out together! It'll be fun!"

"Okay," Kageyama says immediately. His hands are curled into fists at his side, palms growing clammy, so he straightens his fingers and wipes them against his jeans. He doesn't really ever have people over, so he has no idea what he is supposed to do now. He should probably find something for them to do, but he can suddenly not think of a single thing to do.

"Do you have a laptop? Let's watch a movie!"

Okay, so maybe he doesn't have to worry about what they are going to do. He is really grateful Hinata doesn't seem to even notice that Kageyama is awkward around him (around everyone). He quickly kneels down, pulls the laptop out from underneath his bed and hands it to Hinata who is quick to open it and finds Netflix.

Kageyama stays kneeling by the bed, having no idea what he is supposed to do. Hinata is lying on the bed, so there aren't any other places to sit. He guesses he could find a desk chair or something or maybe…

"Steal the pillows from Suga's bed!" Hinata yells, and Kageyama startles, almost toppling backwards, but he catches himself and does as he was told, grabs the two pillows Suga keep on his bed and brings them back. Hinata is quick to grab them, arranging them at the top of the bed and scooting upwards until he is half-sitting up against the pillow. His hurt foot is still kept high on Kageyama's pillow.

"C'mon, sit down! I found a really good movie," Hinata says, and Kageyama suddenly notices that while scooting Hinata had made his way to one side of the bed, and now he is patting the other side as if he means that Kageyama is supposed to lie there. Right next to Hinata. The bed is narrow, so it would mean being basically squished up against Hinata.

Kageyama gulps.

Hinata looks up, a frown on his face. "Do you need to use the bathroom or something?" he asks.

Kageyama shakes his head, fighting back a blush as he gently sits down against the other pillow. He tries to keep as close to the edge as possible, but still he is pressed up against Hinata from upper arm to calf. (It would be shoulder to feet, but Hinata is so short.)

An hour into the movie and Kageyama can't really tell what it's about at all. It's an animated movie, all colourful creatures and witches and magic, but he lost track of what was happening ten minutes into the movie, when Hinata shuffled some more on the bed as if trying to find a better way to sit and ended up resting his head against Kageyama's shoulder. Kageyama has been sitting completely still ever since, terrified he's going to jostle Hinata and make him move away. He really loves sitting like this, Hinata next to him, laughing loudly, and sniffing a little when someone seems to die or vanish.

The laptop is perched on their knees, and Kageyama's hands are pressed against the tops of his thighs, occasionally twitching with the need to move, but he doesn't dare. He keeps peering down at where Hinata's hand is, lying almost on Kageyama's thigh. It would be so easy to just move his hand a little and grab Hinata's hand, but it's scary, because what if Hinata doesn't like that at all? What if it makes him annoyed so he leaves? He feels as he did when he was a kid, sitting hunched down with a hand outstretched towards the neighbour's cat, terrified of moving as much as a muscle in case it scared the cat.

It didn't matter, the cat always walked away from him, and it felt like rejection every time, stinging deep, because not even animals liked Kageyama.

He's so focused on not moving that it takes him a while to realise that Hinata has fallen asleep. Kageyama cranes his head down and sees Hinata's eyes closed, and hears how his breath is deep and even. Kageyama pushes pause on the movie so the sound doesn't wake Hinata.

Hinata is so close Kageyama can see all the freckles on his face, can see how light eyelashes, can see a tiny scar right in the middle of his cheekbone, and Kageyama's heart beats in his ears. He's so in love with Hinata it hurts. His chest is aching to tell Hinata everything, to confess, to throw his heart into the ring and hope maybe there's a chance Hinata feels the same, but he's too afraid.

Hinata's nose scrunches up and he burrows his face into Kageyama's shoulder. His breath is warm against Kageyama, his curls tickling Kageyama's nose.

"I really like you."

The words sound loud in the room, even though he whispers, and Kageyama is shocked he said them, but they just tumbled from his mouth. It's a good thing Hinata is asleep so he won't hear Kageyama make a fool of himself.

"I really like you, too." The words are muttered against his arm, and Kageyama is completely mortified, because Hinata isn't asleep at all, and he just heard what Kageyama said. Kageyama backs away, which was a terrible idea because there's no room, and he falls out of bed. He winces as his tailbone connects with the floor, pain bursting in his ass.

"You're awake!" he states loudly, a statement or accusation, he isn't sure.

Hinata has sat up on the bed, orange curls a little squished down on the side that had been pressed against Kageyama's shoulder. "I couldn't exactly sleep with the way you were staring at me!" Hinata's voice is loud and a little shrill, but he doesn't really look upset. His cheeks are a little red, almost as if he's blushing.

"I wasn't staring!" Kageyama yells back, even though he knows it's a lie, and Hinata probably does as well. Then his mind finally catches up, backtracking. Hinata had said something back, had said that he liked Kageyama too?

Kageyama's mouth snaps closed and he stares up at Hinata. What had Hinata meant with that? That he liked Kageyama as a friend? As something else? As a pillow? He really wants to know, but he doesn't know how to ask.

For a moment they just stare at each other, then Kageyama looks away, cheeks probably red. He hears some shuffling, and then Hinata is crawling out of the bed, falling to his knees right in front of where Kageyama is sitting. His ankle doesn't seem to bother him at all. He looks determined, just like he does when they are playing volleyball, and Kageyama almost expects him to ask for a spike, but he asks for something else entirely.

"You should kiss me," Hinata says, and Kageyama hears the words, and he knows what they mean, but he can't really understand. Hinata wants Kageyama to… kiss him?

"I like you, and I really want to kiss you," Hinata clarifies, and Kageyama can't believe what he's hearing, but he finds himself nodding, and then he is scrambling to get on his knees as well. Hinata's look of determination has faded a little, but he's still sitting there, head tilted a little up towards Kageyama, and his eyes are wide, and he's bouncing a little on his knees, as if has too much energy contained inside, and Kageyama leans a little closer, and then Hinata leans a little closer as well, and Kageyama just does it, he pushes forward those last few inches, and his lips press against Hinata's.

It's… dry, and nothing really happen. Their lips are pressed together for a moment and then Kageyama pulls back a little, having no idea what happens now, he just stares at Hinata, and he's sure Hinata is actually blushing now, and it's so cute. _Cute cute cute_.

And then Hinata's face split in a huge grin, and Kageyama's heart soars, because he's sure Hinata is grinning because of him, and he can't quite believe it, but then Hinata surges forward, and his skinny arms are thrown around Kageyama's neck and now its Hinata kissing him, and it's no longer just a dry press of lips. Hinata kisses like he plays volleyball; energetic. This time there's wet lips, and movement, and they are kissing, proper kisses, and Kageyama is pulled along, kissing back, just trying to keep up with all of Hinata's energy, and sometimes their noses bumps, and they don't really know what they are supposed to do with their tongues, but it's good, and it's Hinata and Hinata is kissing him, and in between each kiss Hinata mumbles for, "One more kiss, Kageyama, one more kiss."


End file.
